Macedonia, 18,000 square miles, and the Cyclades 1,000.
Total 58,750.

During the period of Grecian independence, however, all these territories were never united into one political body, nor formed one consolidated government-nor was ever their combined force directed to the prosecution of one common object. Those communities, whose brilliant achievements in war, philosophy, or arts, raised the Grecian name so high, possessed but very small portions of territory, as will be seen from the following table measured on D'Anville's map:

English square miles.

Attica, including Megara and Salamis, but
Baotia,.......

[Greece, in its most extensive sense, as including Albania and Macedonia, is bounded on the north by a chain of mountains anciently called Rhodope, Scomius, and Orbetus, which separate it from Servia and Bulgaria; on the west by the Adriatic and Ionian seas; on the south by the Mediterranean; and on the east by the gean sea or Archipelago. As it is washed by the sea on all sides but the north, where it is connected with the provinces mentioned above, it may be justly termed a peninsula, of which Peloponnesus, or the Morea, connected with it by the 1sthmus of Corinth, forms the southern part. Its utmost extent from north to south, or from the Scardian mountains to the promonotory of Tænarus, now Cape Matapan, the southernmost point of the Morea, is 6 degrees 30 minutesnamely, from 42. 40. north lat. to 36. 10. do. or 450 English miles. From east to west, or from the mouth of the ancient Strymon or the modern Karasu, in 23. 48. east long. of London, to that of the Drinus or Drino, in 19. 45. east long. is 6 degrees 3 minutes, or 183 geographical, or 213 The celebrated mountain Olympus was considered not English miles. But if we extend the eastern boundary to merely as the loftiest summit in Greece; but even in the the mouth of the river Nestus or Nesto, opposite the isle of opinion of the ancient geometricians, as the highest elevaThasos, in 24. 40. east long., 52 geographical or 60 English tion of the globe. Its height, we are informed, was accumiles must be added, so that its whole breadth on its north-rately measured by the philosopher Xenagoras, and found ern frontier will be 273 English miles. The breadth is however very unequal: between the gulphs of Salonichi and Valona, it is considerably narrower; and between those of Arta and Zeiton, the width does not exceed 100 English miles.

Within the limits stated above, including the tract between the Strymon and the Nestus, and the island of Euboa or the modern Negropont, but exclusive of all its other islands, Greece contains an area of 57,750 English miles. If to these be added 1,000 square miles for the Eyclades, the sum total will be 58,750 English miles, which is almost exactly the area of England, or double that of Scotland, with its dependent isles. The arca of Greece, as including Attica, Euboea, Boeotia, Phocis, Doris, Etolia, Acarnania, Thessaly, and Magnesia, measured on D'Anville's map, which is pronounced by Sir William Gell, a very competent judge, to be the most accurate of any that have been constructed since, comprehends 14,800 English square miles. Peloponnesus or the Morea, which included seven distinct political States, has an area of 8,950 such miles. Epirus and Albania, including the basin of the Drino, occupy a surface of 16,000 English square miles.

1,190 1,530

1,720

Laconia (without Messenia,).
Achaia (the 12 cities with their territories,)...... 1,140

to be ten stadia and a plethrum, or nearly 7,000 English feet. This 's somewhat more than the elevation assigned to it in the Memoires de l'Academie des Sciences, by John Bernoulea, where it is given at 1,017 toises, or 6,512 English feet. The misfortune is, that in these measurements no mention is made of a fixed base, to enable us to judge of the accuracy of the calculations. Snow is said to lie frequently on certain parts of Olympus during the whole year. The ascent, however, is perfectly practicable in the summer season; as Sonnini himself visited its summit from Salonica during that season; and a small Greek chapel has even been constructed near the top, where service is performed once a year, with a singular contrast to the old mythology of the spot. The monastery of St. Dionysius, on the eastern side, is the highest habitation on the moun tain. Its elevation has been prodigiously exaggerated by the poets, who described it as the throne of Jupiter, and the habitation of the Gods. Hence Jupiter was denomi nated the Rector Olympi, or Ruler of Olympus, in the Pagan Theology.

The famed Parnassus seems to be regarded by Clarke and Holland as the loftiest summit in Greece-nay, by the

all these she carried to a high degree of perfection; | Egean sea, now called the Archipelago; on the south and it may truly be said, that in all these respects she has in some measure been the school of mankind.

It is impossible not to be very much interested in the history of such a nation; especially when we consider that it has been transmitted to us by writers of the most consummate merit, many of whom distinguished themselves as much by their swords as by their pens; and were as great commanders and able statesmen, as excellent historians. I confess, it is a vast advantage to have such men for guides; men of an exquisite judgment and consummate prudence; of a refined and perfect taste in every respect; and who furnish not only the facts and thoughts, as well as the expressions wherewith they are to be represented; but, what is much more important, the proper reflections that are to accompany those facts; and which are the most useful improvements resulting from history. These are the rich sources from whence I shall draw all that I have to say, after I have previously inquired into the first origin and establishment of the Grecian states. As this inquiry must be dry, and not capable of affording much delight to the reader, I shall be as brief as possible. But before I enter upon that, I think it necessary to draw a kind of short plan of the situation of the country, and of the several parts that compose it.

ARTICLE I.

A GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF ANCIENT GREECE. Ancient Greece, which is now the south part of Turkey in Europe, was bounded on the east by the former it is considered as one of the highest in Europe. It is amazing how Clarke could either say or think so; as it does not enter the region of constant congelation, and cannot therefore be half the elevation of Mounts Rosa and Blanc, or the Orteler Horn. He ascended it in the month of December, and reached the summit after consuming 4 hours only, in the journey from the village of Arracovia. This village is indeed pretty high up the mountain; three hours distant from Delphi at its foot. But as the road from the latter to the former is an easy ascent, with a number of windings, it is plain that the elevation cannot be very great. The summit was a plain in the bottom of a crater, containing a large pool of water, then frozen over. The sides of this crater, rising in ridges around this plain, are the most elevated points of Parnassus.

The ridge of Helicon lies to the S. E. of Parnassus, being separated from it by the plain of Livadia. Its form is remarkably picturesque and graceful, and such as might fit it to the imagination as the abode of the Muses, when they quitted the loftier heights of Pindus and Parnassus. It possesses the grandeur of height and steepness; but it is a grandeur softened to the eye by the figure of the cliffs, and Intervening hollows-by the woods which still cover them as in ancient times-and by the beautiful slopes connecting the cliffs with the subjacent plains. It is embellished with the epithets of Great and Divine by Hesiod; and Virgil calls it poetically the Aganippean and the Aonian mount the former from the ancient inhabitants of the country. The fountain Aganippe and the Grove of the Muses, are still recognized in a recess of the mountain near the monastery of St. Nicholas. "A more delightful spot is not to be found," says Clarke, "in the romantic passes of Swisserland. It is surrounded on all sides by the mountain: one small opening alone presenting a picturesque view of a ruined tower-upon an eminence in front. The air was filled with spicy odours from numberless aromatic plants covering the soil. A perennial fountain, gushing from the side of a rock, poured down its clear and babbling waters into the rivulet below. A thick grove almost concealed the monastery; and every tree that contributed to its beauty or luxuriance appeared to be the wild and spontaneous produce of the mountain. Nothing interrupted the still silence of this solitude, but the humming of bees, and the sound of falling waters. As we drew near to the fountain, we found it covered with moss and with creeping plants, which spread every where their pendent foliage, hanging gracefully from the trees by which it was shaded. Such are the natural beauties of this Aonian bower. Two miles and a half distant from this, and higher up the mountain, was the fountain Hippocrene, fabled to have sprung from the earth, when struck by the hoof of Pegasus, or the winged steed of Bellerophon."]

by the Cretan, or Candian sea; on the west by the Ionian sea; and on the north by Illyria and Thrace. The constituent parts of ancient Greece, are Epirus, Peloponnesus, Greece properly so called, Thessaly, and Macedonia.

EPIRUS. This province is situate to the west, and divided from Thessaly and Macedonia by mount Pindus, and the Acroceraunian mountains.

The principal inhabitants of Epirus are, the MoLos SIANS, whose chief city is Dodona, famous for the temple and oracle of Jupiter. The CHAONIANS, whose principal city is Oricum. The THESPROTIANS, whose city is Buthrotum, where was the palace and residence of Pyrrhus. The ACARNANIANS, whose city is Ambracía, which gives its name to the gulf. Near to this stood Actium, famous for the victory of Augustus Cæsar, who bult over-against that city, on the other side of the gulf, a city named Nicopolis. There were two little rivers in Epirus, very famous in fabulous story, Cocytus and Acheron.

Epirus must have been very well peopled in former times; as Polybius relates, that Paulus Æmilius, after having defeated Perseus, the last king of Mace donia, destroyed seventy cities in that country, the greatest part of which belonged to the Molossians; and that he carried away from thence no less than 150,000 prisoners.

PELOPONNESUS. This is a peninsula, now called the Morea, joined to the rest of Greece only by the isthmus of Corinth, that is but six miles broad. It is well known, that several princes have attempted in vain to cut through this isthmus.

The parts of Peloponnesus are ACHAIA, properly so called, whose chief cities are Corinth, Sicyon, Patre, &c. ELIS, in which is Olympia, called also Pisa, seated on the river Alpheus, upon the banks of which the Olympic games used to be celebrated. MESSENIA, in which are the cities of Messene, Pylos, the birth place of Nestor and Corona. ARCADIA, in which was Cyllene, the mountain where Mercury was born, the cities of Tegea, Stymphalus, Mantinea, and Megalopolis, Polybius's native place. LACONIA, wherein stood Sparta, or Lacedæmon, and Amycle; mount Taygetus; the river Eurotas, and the cape of Tenarus. ARGOLIS, in which was the city of Argos, called also Hippium, famous for the temple of Juno; Nemea, Mycenae, Nauplia, Træzene, and Epidaurus, wherein was the temple of Esculapius.

GREECE, properly so called. The principal parts of this country were ETOLIA, in which were the cities of Chalcis, Calydon, and Olenus. DORIS. The LOCRI OZOLE. Naupactus, now called Lepanto, famous for the defeat of the Turks in 1571. PHOCIS. Anticyra. Delphi, at the foot of mount Parnassus, famous for the oracles delivered there. In this country also was mount Helicon. BaoTIA. Mount Citharon. Orchomenus. Thespia. Charonæa, illustrious as being Plutarch's native country. Plata, famous for the defeat of Mardonius. Thebes. Aulis, famous for its port, from whence the Grecian army set sail for the siege of Troy. Leuctra, celebrated for the victory of Epaminondas. ATTICA. Megara. Eleusis. Decelia. Marathon, where Miltiades defeated the Persian army. Athens, whose ports were Piraeus, Munychia, and Phalerus. The mountain Hymettus, famous for its excellent honey. LOCRIS.

THESSALY. The most remarkable towns of this province were, Gomphi. Pharsalia, near which Julius Cæsar defeated Pompey. Magnesia. Methone, at the siege of which Philip lost his eye. Thermopyla, a narrow strait, famous for the vigorous resistance of 300 Spartans against Xerxes's numerous army, and for their glorious defeat. Phthia. Thebes. Larissa. Demetrias. The delightful valleys of Tempe, near the banks of the river Peneus. Olympus, Pelion, and Ossa, three mountains celebrated in fabulous story for the battle of the giants.

1 Apud. Strab. L. vii. p. 322.

which it is said, that Alexander, the son of Philip the Macedonian, went out of his country, which was that of Cetthim for Chittim,] to make war against Darius, king of Persia. And in the eighth chapter, speaking of the Romans and their victories over the last kings of Macedonia, Philip and Perseus, the two last mentioned princes are called kings of the Chittims.

Dodanim. It is very probable, that Thessaly and Epirus were the portion of the fourth son of Javan. The impious worship of Jupiter of Dodona, as well as the city Dodona itself, are proofs that some remembrance of Dodanim had remained with the people, who derived their first establishment and origin

from him.

This is all that can be said with any certainty concerning the origin of the Grecian nations. The Holy Scripture, whose design is not to satisfy our curiosity, but to nourish and improve our piety, after scattering these few rays of light, leaves us in utter darkness concerning the rest of their history: which therefore can be collected only from profane authors.

If we may believe Pliny, the Grecians were so called from the name of an ancient king, of whom they had but a very uncertain tradition. Homer, in his poems, calls them Hellenes, Danai, Argives, and Achaians. It is observable, that the word Græcus is not once used in Virgil.

The exceeding rusticity of the first Grecians would appear incredible, if we could call in question the testimony of their own historians upon that point. But a people so vain of their origin as to adorn it by fiction and fables, would never think of inventing any thing in its disparagement. Who would imagine that the people', to whom the world is indebted for all her knowledge in literature and the sciences, should be descended from mere savages, who knew no other law than force, were ignorant even of agriculture, and fed on herbs and roots like the brute beasts? And yet this appears plainly to be the case, from the divine honours they decreed to the person who first taught them to feed upon acorns as a more delicate and wholesome nourishment than herbs. There was still a great distance from this first improvement to a state of urbanity and politeness. Nor did they indeed arrive at the latter, till after a long process of time.

The weakest were not the last to understand the necessity of living together in society, in order to defend themselves against violence and oppression. At first they built single houses at a distance from one another; the number of which insensibly increasing, formed in time towns and cities. But the bare living together in society was not sufficient to polish such a people. Egypt and Phoenicia had the honour of doing this. Both these nations contributed to instruct and civilize the Grecians, by the colonies they sent among them. The latter taught them navigation, writing, and commerce; the former, the knowledge of their laws and polity, gave them a taste for arts and sciences, and initiated them into her mysteries.

8

men born in the country where they lived, to distinguish themselves from the rest of the nations, that had almost all transplanted themselves from place to place. Such were in general the first beginnings of Greece. We must now enter into a more particular detail, and give a brief account of the establishment of the several different states whereof the whole country consisted.

ARTICLE IV.

THE DIFFERENT STATES INTO WHICH GREECE WAS
DIVIDED.

In those early times kingdoms were but inconsider-
able, and of very small extent, the title of kingdom
of land depending upon it.
being often given to a single city, with a few leagues

SICYON. The most ancient kingdom of Greece was that of Sicyon; whose beginning is placed by Eusebius 1313 years before the first Olympiad. Its duration is believed

years.

to

A. M. 1915.

Ant. J. C. 2089.

have been 1000

A. M. 2148.

in Peloponnesus, began 1080 years
ARGOS. The kingdom of Argos,
before the first Olympiad, in the Ant. J. C. 1856.
time of Abraham. The first king
of it was INACHUS. His successors were, his son PHO-
its name; and after several others, GELANOR, who
RONEUS; APIS; ARGUS, from whom the country took
was dethroned and expelled his kingdom by Danaus,
the Egyptian. The successors of
this last were LYNCEUS, the son of A. M. 2530.
his brother Ægyptus, who alone, Ant. J. C. 1474.
of fifty brothers, escaped the cruelty
of the Danaides; then ABAS, PROTEUS, and ACRISIUS.

Of Danae, daughter to the last, was born Perseus, who having, when he was grown up, unfortunately killed his grandfather, Acrisius, and not being able to bear the sight of Argos, where he committed that involuntary murder, withdrew to Mycenae, and there fixed the seat of his kingdom.

MYCENE. Perseus then translated the seat of the

kingdom from Argos to Mycena. He left several sons Electryon. Alcæus was the father of Amphitryon ; behind him; among others, Alcæus, Sthenelus, and Amphitryon married Alcmena, upon whom Jupiter Sthenelus of Eury stheus; and Electryon of Alcmena. begat Hercules.

same

Eurystheus and Hercules came into the world the management antecedent to that of the latter, Hercules day; but as the birth of the former was by Juno's his order to undertake the twelve labours, so celebrawas forced to be subject to him, and was obliged by ted in fabulous history.

The kings who reigned at Mycenæ, after Perseus, were, ELECTRYON, STHENELUS, and EURYSTHEUS. The last, after the death of Hercules, declared open war time or other attempt to dethrone him; which, as it against his descendants, apprehending they might some happened, was done by the Heraclide; for, having Greece, in her infant state, was exposed to great killed Eurystheus in battle, they entered victorious into commotions and frequent revolutions; because, as the Peloponnesus, and made themselves masters of the people had no settled correspondence, and no superior country. But, as this happened before the time depower to give laws to the rest, every thing was deter-termined by fate, a plague ensued, which, with the mined by force and violence. The strongest invaded direction of an oracle, obliged them to quit the country. the lands of their neighbours, which they thought more Three years after this, being deceived by the ambifertile and delightful than their own, and dispossessed the lawful owners, who were obliged to seek new set-uous expression of the oracle, they made a second attlements elsewhere. As Attica was a dry and barren about twenty years before the taking of Troy. tempt, which likewise proved fruitless. This was country, its inhabitants had not the same invasions and ATREUS, the son of Pelops, uncle by the mother's outrages to fear, and therefore consequently kept them-side to Eurystheus, was the latter's successor. eslves in possession of their ancient territories; for which reason they took the name of abróx@oves, that is,

And

in this manner the crown came to the descendants of Pelops, from whom Peloponnesus, which before was called Apia, derived its name. The bloody hatred of the two brothers, Atreus and Thyestes, is known to all the world.

PLISTHENES, the son of Atreus, succeeded his father in the kingdom of Mycenae, which he left to his son

Euseb. in Chron.

AGAMEMNON, who was succeeded by his son ORESTES. | out for a husband for his daughter Helena. All the sui

The kingdom of Mycenae was filled with enormous tors to this princess bound themselves by oath, to abide and horrible crimes, from the time it came into the fa- by and entirely to submit to, the choice which the lady mily of Pelops. herself should make, who determined in favour of MeTISIMEMES and PENTHILUS, sons of Orestes, reigned nelaus. She had not lived above three years with her after their father, and were at last driven out of Pelo-husband, before she was carried off by Alexander or ponnesus by the Heraclidae. Paris, son of Priam, king of the Trojans; which rape was the cause of the Trojan war. Greece did not properly begin to know or experience her united strength, till the famous siege of that city, where Achilles, the Ajaxes, Nestor, and Ulysses, gave Asia sufficient reason to forbode her future subjection to their posterity. The Greeks took Troy after a ten years' siege, much about the time that Jepthah governed the people of God; that is, according to Archbishop Usher, in the year of the world 2820, and 1184 years before Jesus Christ. This epocha is famous in history, and should carefully be remembered, as well as that of the Olympiads.

ATHENS. CECROPS, a native of A. M. 2448. Egypt, was the founder of this kingAnt. J. C. 1556. dom. Having settled in Attica, he divided all the country subject to him into twelve districts. He it was who established the Areopagus.

This august tribunal, in the reign of his successor CRANAUS, adjudged the famous difference between Neptune and Mars. In his time happened Deucalion's flood. The deluge of Ogyges in Attica was much more ancient, and happened 1020 years before the first Olympiad, and consequently in the year of the world 2208.

AMPHICTYON, the third king of Athens, procured a confederacy between twelve nations, which assembled twice a year at Thermopyla, there to offer their common sacrifices, and to consult together upon their affairs in general, as also upon the affairs of each nation in particular. This convention was called the assembly of the Amphictyons.

The reign of ERECHTHEUS is remarkable for the arrival of Ceres in Attica, after the rape of her daughter Proserpine, as also for the institution of the mysteries at Eleusis.

A. M. 2720. Ant. J. C. 1284.

The reign of ÆGEUS, the son of Pandion, is the most illustrious period of the history of the heroes. In his time are placed the expedition of the Argonauts; the celebrated labours of Hercules; the war of Minos, second king of Crete, against the Athenians; the story of Theseus and Ariadne.

THESEUS Succeeded his father Egeus. Cecrops had divided Attica into twelve boroughs, or twelve districts, separated from each other. Theseus brought the people to understand the advantages of common government, and united the twelve boroughs into one city or body politic, in which the whole authority was united. CODRUS was the last king of Athens: he devoted himself to die for his people.

After him the title of king was A. M. 2934. extinguished among the Athenians. Ant. J. C. 1070. MEDON, his son, was set at the head of the commonwealth, with the title of Archon, that is to say, president or governor. The first Archontes were for life; but the Athenians, growing weary of a government which they still thought bore too great a resemblance to royal power, made their Archontes elective every ten years, and at last reduced it to an annual office.

A. M. 2549. Ant. J. C. 1455.

THEBES. Cadmus, who came by sea from the coast of Phoenicia, that is, from about Tyre and Sidon, seized upon that part of the country which was afterwards called Bootia. He built there the city of Thebes, or at least a citadel, which from his own name he called Cadmea, and there fixed the seat of his power and dominion.

The fatal misfortune of Laius, one of his successors, and of Jocasta his wife, of Edipus their son, of Etocles and Polynices, who were born of the incestuous marriage of Jocasta with Edipus, have furnished ample matter for fabulous narration and theatrical representations.

SPARTA, or LACEDEMON. It is supposed, that LELEX, the first king of Laconia, began his reign about 1516 years before the Christian æra.

TYNDARUS, the ninth king of Lacedæmon, had by Leda, Castor and Pollux, who were twins, besides Helena and Clytemnestra the wife of Agamemnon, king of Mycena. Having survived his two sons, the twins, he began to think of choosing a successor, by looking

An Olympiad is the revolution of four complete years, from one celebration of the Olympic games to the other. We have elsewhere given an account of the institution of these games, which were celebrated every four years, near the town of Pisa, otherwise called Olympia.

The common æra of the Olympiads begins in the summer of the year of the world 3228, 776 years before Jesus Christ, from the games in which Corebus won the prize in the foot-race.

Four-score years after the taking of Troy, the Heraclidæ re-entered Peloponnesus, and seized Lacedæmon, where two brothers, Eurysthenes and Procles, sons of Aristodemus, began to reign together, and from their time the sceptre always continued jointly in the hands of the descendants of those two families. Many years after this, Lycurgus instituted that body of laws for the Spartan state, which rendered both the legislator and republic so famous in history: I shall speak of them at large in the sequel. CORINTH. Corinth began later than the other cities I have been speaking of, to be governed by kings of its own. It was at first subject to those of Argus, and Mycena; at last, Sisyphus, the son of Eolus, made himself master of it. But his descendants were dispossessed of the throne by the Heraclidæ, about 110 years after the siege of Troy.

A. M. 2628.

Ant. J. C. 1376.

The regal power, after this, came to the descendants of Bacchis, under whom the monarchy was changed into an aristocracy, that is, the reigns of the govern ment were in the hands of the elders, who annually chose from among themselves a chief magistrate, whom they called Prytanis. At last Cypselus having gained the people, usurped the supreme authority, which he transmitted to his son Periander; who held a distinguished rank among the Grecian sages, on account of the love he bore to learning, and the protection and encouragement he gave to learned men. MACEDONIA. It was a long time before the Greeks paid any great Ant. J. C. 1813. attention to Macedonia. Herkings, living retired in woods and mountains, seemed not to be considered as a part of Greece. They pretended that their kings, of whom CARANUS was the first, were descended from Hercules. Philip, and his son Alexander, raised the glory of this kingdom to a very high pitch. It had subsisted 471 years before the death of Alexander, and continued 155 more, till Perseus was defeated and taken by the Romans; in all, 626 years.

ARTICLE V.

A. M. 3191.

COLONIES OF THE GREEKS SENT INTO ASIA MINOR.

We have already observed, that fourscore years after the taking of Troy, the Heraclidae recovered Pe loponnesus, after having defeated the Pelopidæ, that is Tisamenes and Penthilus, sons of Orestes; and